USA 3:4 GRE | USA - Greece (World Cup (men))

World Cup (men)

Bermuda – Lebanon	1:6 (end)	\|	Finland – France	3:1 (end)	\|	Italy – Haiti	2:0 (end)
USA – Greece	3:4 (after OT)	\|	Cayman Islands – Hong Kong	2:3 (end)	\|	Slovakia – Portugal	4:0 (end)
Czech Republic – India	3:1 (end)	\|	Great Britain – Armenia	4:2 (end)	\|	Canada – Switzerland	5:1 (end)

final/OT

USA

3:4 (2:1, 1:1, 0:1 - 0:1)

Greece

Thursday 08.06.2017, 13:00 • World Cup (men) • Čtvrtfinále

		Welcome. Game starts at 13:00 CEST, 14:00 EEST, 09:00 EDT.
		This is the first quarter-final for the A-pool of the 2017 Ball Hockey World Championship. The USA got to this game by finishing 1st in Group A2, winning all 4 games (3 in regulation time, 1 in a shootout) for 11 points. Greece finished 4th in Group A1 with 4 points (1 regulation win, 1 shootout loss, 2 regulation losses), then beat Haiti in a cross-over game yesterday, 4-1.
		The teams are on the floor for pre-game warmups. The USA is designated as the home team for this game and is wearing navy blue uniforms with red and white trim, navy blue shorts and socks, white helmets. Greece is designated as the visiting team and wearing white jerseys with royal blue trim, royal blue shorts, white socks, royal blue helmets.
		Starting lineups: USA: Rethage (Sheehan) – Bayne, Hildreth, Caron, Carter, Defazio, Liebers, Zimmick – Housser, Ruiz, Schlegel, Black, Daugherty, Gregory, Hackett, Hickey, Kiesel, Merchant, Petito, Senecal, Sullivan, Warila, Wilson. Greece: Vrettis (Bitsakis) – Adamou, Goulakos, Hinios, Pinios, Rompotinos, Tzaferis – J. Barbas, Alvo, Argiris, E. Arkalis, P. Arkalis, M. Barbas, R. Barbas, Kakivelos, Karvourniaris, Klitrinos, Kuzmarski, Pitsikoulis, Romano, Vagenas. Referees: Hollett (CAN), Černý (CZE).
		The teams are on the floor and the opening faceoff is moments away.
	00:01	Game started.
	00:20	Greece on the offensive first, they get the first shot of the game.
	00:45	Now a shot from the boards, Vrettis the save, both teams have a shot on goal.
	01:09	Ball into the area between the benches, faceoff at centre.
	01:22	Penalty for Greece (Michael Hinios – 2 min., High Sticking).
	02:04	Big slapper from Ruiz, save Vrettis, action continues around the goal and finally Vrettis covers. 1:18 left in the penalty.
	03:00	Another drive from Ruiz, Vrettis knocks it down and Greece clear it.
	03:14	Penalty for USA (Bench Minor, served by Josh Merchant – 2 min., Too Many Players on the Rink). Teams will play 4 on 4 for :08, then Greece to the power play.
	04:38	Goal for Team Greece! They put on good pressure on the power play, Rethage stops a shot from a sharp angle but the rebound is lying in the crease for JOSHUA BARBAS. Assists: Nicholas Pitsikoulis, Chris Vagenas.
	05:24	Hand pass Greece out of their own zone, faceoff back in the zone.
	06:39	Ball out of play in the US zone, faceoff inside.
	07:20	Long slapper from Goulakos, pad save Rethage.
	07:51	Icing Greece.
	08:15	Goal for Team USA! For the first time in the game the Americans have some sustained pressure in the Greek zone. Vrettis sweeps the ball to the corner, but JORDAN SENECAL recovers it, cuts in front and beats Vrettis with a wrister to the short side. Unassisted.
	08:53	Americans back to the attack, a shot is deflected out of play, faceoff in the Greek zone.
	09:00	The ball comes to Cody Black right in front of Vrettis, who is down, but he can't put it past the goalie and it rolls wide.
	10:06	Icing Greece.
	10:20	Joshua Barbas takes a pass right in front of the US goal but he backhands it just wide of the far post.
	10:42	Icing Greece.
	12:02	Dangerous American rush, Senecal drops for Warila, who makes a nice move and gets a shot, rebound lying loose, nobody can get to it, finally covered.
	12:06	Goal for Team USA! Right off the faceoff, the ball comes to CHRISTOPHER LIEBERS and he rips it blocker side on Vrettis. Assist: Bill Sullivan.
	12:34	Offside USA.
	12:44	Black with the ball down low, cuts in front and gets a shot, stopped and covered by Vrettis, and then Black is decked after the whistle.
	15:00	1st period finished.
		Strong start for the Greeks and they got the early lead, but the second half of the period was all USA. They had lots of pressure, scored twice and lead 2-1 after one period of this quarter-final. Shots on goal in 1st period: USA 12, GRE 6. 2nd period begins at 13:38 CEST.
	15:01	Start of 2nd period.
	16:03	Pass out of the corner to Vagenas right in front, Rethage denies him from point-blank.
	16:19	Play in the Greek zone now, battle for the ball behind the net and is frozen. Play stopped, faceoff inside.
	17:14	Now pressure from Greece again, big shot from Alvo, deflected out of play by Rethage.
	17:43	Penalty for USA (Bill Sullivan – 2 min., Hooking).
	19:20	Greece having trouble getting anything going on this power play, continually going back to retrieve the ball in their own end.
	19:39	Loose ball in the US zone and Rethage covers it with :04 left in the penalty.
	19:45	Just as the USA gets back to full strength a Greek shot sails out of play untouched, faceoff outside.
	19:55	Senecal leads a rush, Vrettis catches and holds his wrister.
	20:25	At the end of his shift, Senecal cuts out in front from the corner and fires it just over the crossbar with room upstairs.
	21:24	USA sustaining pressure, finally Vrettis covers.
	22:23	Partiall break for Gregory, Vrettis gets an arm on his shot and deflects it to the corner.
	22:58	Goal for Team Greece! After withstanding so much American pressure, the Greeks come back the other way and score. NICHOLAS PITSIKOULIS takes the cross-pass and fires it inside the post before Rethage can get across. Tied game. Assist: Kevin Kuzmarski
	23:52	Icing Greece.
	23:59	Big collision in the Greek zone, Jorden Senecal is shaken up and play is stopped. No penalty called, faceoff outside.
	25:00	Long Greek drive deflected just wide.
	26:45	Icing Greece.
	26:46	Goal for Team USA! Right off the draw they re-take the lead. MATT KIESEL was lined up right on the edge of the circle, the ball came to him and he one-timed it far side. According to the game clock that took only one second! That's the second time they've scored right off an offensive-zone faceoff. Assist: Jim Daugherty.
	27:45	The Greeks go to the attack, big scramble in the crease and Rethage finally covers it to keep his team ahead.
	28:36	A US clearing attempt hits the bottom of the scoreboard. Faceoff inside.
	29:08	Housser cuts in front, tries to go upstairs but fires over the glass and out of play. Faceoff outside.
	30:00	2nd period finished.
		Just before the end of the period the USA had a great chance but Ioannis Vrettis made a big save to keep his team within a goal with a period to play.
		The USA dominated most of that period, but Greece had its chances too. Each team scored a goal and so it's 3-2 USA with a period to play. Shots on goal in 2nd period (and game): USA 11 (23), GRE 7 (13). 3rd period begins at 14:14 CEST.
		Teams returning to the floor, 3rd period will begin shortly.
	30:01	Start of 3rd period.
	30:59	Americans start to the attack, play stopped for an attacking player in the goal crease, faceoff outside.
	32:18	The Greeks trying to mount an offensive but can't get shots through, they go offside.
	32:37	Vrettis came out to clear the puck, but it's knocked down by Merchant, who has a partial empty net to shoot at while the goalie scrambles back but he can't hit it.
	33:36	Offside Greece.
	33:46	Another dangerous-looking US rush but they don't get a shot away.
	35:35	Long-range US shot sails high and over the glass, faceoff outside the Greek zone.
	35:59	Slapper from Vagenas, right on Rethage.
	36:08	Goal for Team Greece! They just won't go away in this game and they've tied it again. MICHAEL PINIOS's low wrister from the top of the slot through traffic may have been tipped in front, but Rethage was definitely screened. Assists: Nicholas Rompotinos, Costa Kakivelos.
	37:12	Teams trade chances at either end, both goalies make saves to keep this game tied.
	37:26	Big slapper from Kakivelos, save Rethage and it goes out of play.
	37:41	Now a long American shot is stopped and held by Vrettis.
	37:55	A couple of chances for Sullivan, first one is stopped, the second he couldn't convert standing at the side of the net.
	38:55	Slapper from Gregory, pad save Vrettis.
	39:30	Now it's Wilson and another save by Vrettis.
	40:09	Greek rush against the flow of play, Alvo shoots high and out of play, faceoff outside.
	41:30	Sustained pressure from the Americans but they're not getting quality shots. The ones that get through are usually long-range ones that are no problem for Vrettis.
	41:30	Timeout Greece.
	41:50	USA keeps the pressure on, shot hits Vrattis and goes out of play.
	42:01	Offside USA.
	42:42	One-timer from the point by Caron, caught and held by Vrattis.
	43:04	Low shot by Senecal misses the net, off the end boards and Vrattis covers.
	44:35	Slapper by Liebers, knocked down by Vrattis's glove.
	44:45	Greeks quick on the counter, 2 on 1 and Rethage makes a game-saving save.
	45:00	3rd period finished.
		Amazing, we're tied after 45 minutes and so we'll have a 10-minute sudden-death overtime period. If nobody scores in that time, a shootout will determine which of these teams will advance to the semi-finals. Shots on goal in the 3rd period (and game): USA 8 (31), GRE 8 (21). Overtime will begin at 14:42 CEST.
	45:01	Overtime began.
	45:59	Icing USA.
	47:00	So far neither of these teams able to generate anything offensively.
	48:35	The first shot by either side in the OT and it's a dandy. Housser from the left side right on Vrettis, who goes down and covers as Merchant tries to dig for the rebound.
	49:13	Now a long-range Greek shot, easy pad save for Rethage.
	49:58	Long slapper from Hildreth sails wide.
	50:13	Goal for Team Greece! Just after the American shot missed, Greece was quick on the counter-attack. On the rush, Barbas fed KEVIN KUZMARSKI on the right side, and his one-timer beat Rethage inside the post. Assist: Michael Barbas.
		Game over.
		That's the first loss of the tournament for the USA, but it comes at the wrong time and they're out of the tournament in the quarter-finals. The Greeks are on to the semi-finals, where they'll face the winner of Canada-Switzerland, which will be the last game tonight.
		Players of the Game: USA – Jorden Senecal, F GRE – Michael Hinios, F
		What an amazing scene in the first of four quarter-finals . . . the pouring of the Greek team off the bench after the overtime goal to celebrate the win, and the smiles on their faces during the handshake stand in contrast to the looks of shock on the American faces. What drama do we have in the other three games later today? Come on back and find out! (14:55:48)

Commentary by

Derek OBrien

@@Djob76

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 9. Senecal, 13. Liebers (Sullivan), 27. Kiesel (Daugherty) – 5. Barbas (Pitsikoulis, Vagenas), 23. Pitsikoulis (Kuzmarski), 37. Pinios (Rompotinos, Kakivelos), 51. Kuzmarski (Barbas)

USA: Rethage (Sheehan) – Bayne, Hildreth, Caron, Carter, Defazio, Liebers, Zimmick – Housser, Ruiz, Schlegel, Black, Daugherty, Gregory, Hackett, Hickey, Kiesel, Merchant, Petito, Senecal, Sullivan, Warila, Wilson.

Greece: Vrettis (Bitsakis) – Adamou, Goulakos, Hinios, Pinios, Rompotinos, Tzaferis – J. Barbas, Alvo, Argiris, E. Arkalis, P. Arkalis, M. Barbas, R. Barbas, Kakivelos, Karvourniaris, Klitrinos, Kuzmarski, Pitsikoulis, Romano, Vagenas.

Referees: Hollett (CAN), Černý (CZE).

1st period
	01:22	GRE	2	Hinios, High Sticking
	03:14	USA	2	Minor, Too Many Players on the Rink
	04:38	GRE	0:1	Barbas (Pitsikoulis, Vagenas)
	08:15	USA	1:1	Senecal
	12:06	USA	2:1	Liebers (Sullivan)
1st intermission
2nd period
	17:43	USA	2	Sullivan, Hooking
	22:58	GRE	2:2	Pitsikoulis (Kuzmarski)
	26:46	USA	3:2	Kiesel (Daugherty)
2nd intermission
3rd period
	36:08	GRE	3:3	Pinios (Rompotinos, Kakivelos)
After 3rd period
Overtime
	50:13	GRE	3:4	Kuzmarski (Barbas)
Final/OT